My American Sniper

Former SEAL Brandon Webb (left) trained the most successful American sniper, Chris Kyle (right), as the head of the NSW Sniper School. The film adaptation of Kyle's life story, titled "American Sniper," has been running in cinemas for some time now. We wanted to know from Brandon Webb how he saw the movie:

I first met Chris Kyle when he was a "new guy" at SEAL Team 3, and later again when I participated as an instructor at the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Sniper Program. My friend Eric Davis was his personal mentor (we had a mentoring program in this course), and Chris graduated in the middle of the class, but he had good instincts - and all us instructors knew that.

Chris came to my office after one of his tours, and I remember us laughing together because one of the guys from the SWCC (Special Boat Team) called and asked me on the phone, "What requirements do I have to meet to participate in the course?" And I simply answered, "BUD/S." (Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL Training). And hung up.

Overall, Kyle was a great person and a solid SEAL. I knew him as a teammate and got to know him better after the Navy. I was not close to his family and his widow, Taya Kyle, but I have heard wonderful stories about both. Chris and I talked over and over again about how difficult it is to leave the teams, about our fallen friends, the comrades and families we worried about, and chatted daily with each other.

My View of American Sniper

Bradley Cooper delivered an amazing performance as Chris Kyle, but Clint Eastwood's magic was hidden beyond the first and last minutes of the film. Kevin Lacz, the SEAL actor, was amazingly good in this film.

The plot was extremely confusing when it came to depicting Chris' time in Iraq, which is what most of the film is about. I won't go into detail here because I don't want to bore you, but let's just say that joint forces, units, and command structures are mixed up - and I know the story, I was in Iraq!

I also thought that the "home drama" was overrated. Taya Kyle is a fascinating personality and it is an important topic, but it shouldn't overshadow the whole film. A friend, who also saw the film, told me, "They turned a war film into a homecoming film." I have to agree with that. Most people who watch the film will expect less drama and more time with Chris on the trigger.

The biggest disappointment in the film was that attention was not paid to those small details that incorrectly portrayed soldiers infuriate when watching war films. Patches are not worn properly (Ranger Tabs on the combat uniform?), Marines bumping each other with loaded weapons (the USMC has the most disciplined shooters I know), no anti-glare protection on the optics of the sniper rifles, and unrealistic training scenarios, which I will address next.

The scenes of the SEAL sniper course training were particularly painful to watch because they didn't even give the audience a glimpse of what the SEAL sniper course is all about (image above: Instructor supervising students during "Stalking"; image below: Webb with sniper students). The course lasts three months, with six intense days a week, focusing on ballistics in the classroom, approaches in the field, and shooting at ranges up to 1,000 meters. It felt like I was watching amateurs trying to shoot Budweiser cans at 100 meters (unsuccessfully, I might add), with some jerk shouting in the background. It was very disappointing to sit through this part in the cinema; I literally squirmed in my seat with my GI Jane discomfort. If a phone rang, it was a welcome distraction. It felt like I could see Chris shaking his head in disappointment.

Am I too critical? Perhaps, but I'm just trying to be honest with the readers here and with all other fans of military films. I expected so much more... Lone Survivor, Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, and Band of Brothers, all passed the authentic military litmus test from my perspective. I am a big Eastwood fan, the movie trailer really rocked. So I thought that if any production team would pay attention to the professional military details, it would be this one. I'm not sure if writer Jason Hall was fooled in the Post Production Room, or if it was the other way around. Only Eastwood's team can answer this question convincingly.

Nevertheless, the last minutes of the film deliver a powerful message and left the small group I was with completely amazed, like a 300 Win Mag headache. Bradley Cooper really reached depth and portrayed Kyle at his best. And anyone who watches the film will get to know Chris through Cooper's performance. That alone makes the film worth watching.

SEAL Sniper in action in Afghanistan

BRANDON WEBB is a former U.S. Navy SEAL. He recently led the sniper training for the West Coast teams at the Naval Special Warfare Center. He has been in combat multiple times in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the chairman of the FORCE 12 Media Network, editor of SpecialOperations.com, and an author at SOFREP.com, as well as a New York Times Bestselling Author (The Red Circle & Benghazi: The Definitive Report). Brandon can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and his Website.